Monthly Archives: November 2012

Wrapping gifts can be almost as exciting as giving them to your loved ones! It’s a great opportunity to show off your creative side and the love and care that went into picking out the perfect present. Instead of sticking with the ordinary store-bought wrapping paper this year, branch out and try some of these unique ways to wrap your holiday gifts.

Start with simple brown paper and then spice up it up with a homemade paper snowflake.

Via Houzz

Create your own unique Christmas ribbon by simply using strings of colorful yarn.

Via Pinterest

Find some holiday themed cloth and swaddle it around your present. In addition to being festive, the fabric can be reused, too!

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Hold on to your Sunday paper and use it as a way to wrap your holiday gifts. Believe it or not, you can even create a decorative bow for your gift out of newspaper, too!

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If you are feeling especially crafty, create a felt garland of colorful circles or stars in varying sizes and attach them to your gifts. If you have any leftover, you could even use this garland to decorate your home!

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For a stylish shabby-chic wrapping job, use burlap to wrap presents and pair it with raffia or ribbon.

Via Pinterest

Use an inexpensive map to wrap a present and finish it with a bright ornament.

There are so many sights, sounds, and smells that make the holiday season magical. Wouldn’t you like to know where some of these Christmas symbols originated from? Here’s a quick little history lesson on some of our favorite Christmas traditions.

Nutcrackers: These little men stem from the iconic ballet that remains one of the most treasured Christmas activities. According to German folklore, these wooden dolls were given as keepsakes to bring good luck and protection to your home. The nutcracker represents strength and was believed to ward off evil spirits. And today, it is an added bonus that these popular Christmas decorations can be put to use at the dining table!

Christmas Trees: For hundreds of years, evergreen trees have remained a special symbol of winter. In some cultures, these year-round trees were believed to ward of evil and illness. The tradition of displaying an evergreen at Christmas time, however, began in Germany. Years ago, Germans began bringing trees indoors to decorate their homes during the holidays. At first, Americans found this very strange, but now the Christmas tree is the ultimate symbol of the season!

Mistletoe: According to Celtic legend, this plant was cherished for its ability to bring good luck and heal wounds. But over the years, we started hanging this small bushel of holly and using it as an excuse to sneak a quick Christmas kiss. Who knows how it went from Celtic mythology to kisses? But we do know one thing: it’s the most romantic Christmas tradition of them all.

Does all this talk of Christmas have you in the decorating spirit? Make sure to stop by Paul Michael Company for a wonderful selection of gorgeous Christmas decorations from nutcrackers and ornaments to Christmas ribbon and DIY holiday wreaths.

We’d like to formally invite you to one of our holiday parties that we will be hosting at ever Paul Michael Company store location on December 6, 2012.

Come hungry and ready to shop! There will be lots of tasty hors d’eourves and refreshments as well as some very exciting prizes. Every hour, there will be a drawing for a $50 gift card! But even if you are not the lucky winner of one of our gift cards, there will be plenty of opportunities to shop and enjoy new mark downs on unique gifts and holiday decor throughout the store. So come celebrate the season and get your holiday decor and gift shopping done early.

Oh and that’s not all! For the holiday parties at each location, there will be special guests and entertainment. At the Paul Michael Company location in Monroe, Louisiana, Ms. Kay from the ever-popular A&E show, Duck Dynasty, will be joining us!

Please RSVP on our Facebook Event Page and enter to win a $100 Gift Card. We hope to see you all there! Don’t forget to wear your Santa hat!

Still have gifts left on your holiday shopping list? Paul Michael Company can serve as a one-stop shop for your gift list this holiday season! From gorgeous home decor to unique local art, Paul Michael Company offers a wide variety of gifts with genuine character and personality. Here are just five ideas for wonderful holiday gifts that will be meaningful and memorable.

Tomorrow we will all be relaxing at home and indulging in an abundance of quality family time and delicious comfort foods. But on Friday, we’ll be strapping on our running shoes and getting ready for the busiest shopping day of the year! Are you ready? To help you gear up for the busy day of shopping, here is a great list of Black Friday shopping tips from Hip2Save.

And don’t forget to include one of the Paul Michael Company store locations as one of your Black Friday shopping destinations. We’ll be offering hundreds of Christmas decor and home decor items at 25 to 50 percent off! But you better get here early to get the best selection of our holiday decor and unique handcrafted home decor. Here are the Black Friday store hours for our three different locations:

Make Christmas dinner even more magical this year with a creative theme for your tablescape. From centerpieces and chandelier decor to napkin holders and place cards, there are many ways you can decorate your dining table to make it extra special. To inspire you to get a little creative with your dinner table decor, here are some of our favorite ideas for Christmas table settings on Pinterest.

Transport your guests to a whimsical wonderland by choosing an energetic color palette and incorporating bright ornaments and a little sparkle.

Dress up the chairs! Come up with a unique way to incorporate your dinner table chairs into your tablescape theme.

Tell a story with your Christmas table decor. This holiday setting features a table runner made from actual pages of an old book – how neat!

Do you know of any other creative ways to dress up your Christmas table? How are you planning on adding holiday cheer to your table for Christmas dinner? Share with us in a comment!

Paul Michael Company in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas has all of the Christmas decorations and any other materials you need to achieve a designer Christmas table setting this year! Come by one of our stores and we’ll help you with your theme, color palette, table runner, centerpieces, place cards and even your dinnerware!

Here at Paul Michael Company, we think that burlap simply doesn’t get enough credit! While burlap sometimes gets a bad reputation, this fabric is actually one of our favorite materials to use for DIY holiday decorations! Here are just a few reasons why we love to decorate with burlap during the holidays:

Burlap is easy to find and inexpensive!

It’s versatile; burlap can be used for everything from wrapping presents to creating a festive tablescape.

The neutral color allows it to complement any color scheme and interior design style, from refined rustic to vintage-chic.

Burlap adds wonderful natural texture to interiors and decor.

Last but not least, burlap is an all-natural, renewable fabric, so it’s eco-friendly!

For inspiration, here are 6 ways you can achieve designer holiday decor with burlap:

1. Make burlap bags with ribbon and holly that are perfect for holding seasonal potpourri or even small gifts.